Jordan Allen was a name to watch in his rookie season for Real Salt Lake. The 19-year-old from Rochester, N.Y., had completed a quick ascent to Major League Soccer after one season at the University of Virginia, and the US U-20 player was poised to break through.

“Jordan is getting surgery,” RSL head coach Jeff Cassar told reporters on Tuesday, confirming a season-ending operation for his rookie midfielder that is set for Thursday. “It’s his knee.”

Allen appeared in just the first two regular-season matches of the year, playing just a total of nine minutes. In the second game, he suffered an ankle injury when he was fouled from behind, and that apparently aggravated a knee injury.

He was just the sixth player to be signed out of the RSL-Arizona Academy, and he was expected to contribute first-team minutes right away, not just in midfield, but in defense and attack as well.

Here’s to a speedy recovery for Allen, who could be a major factor for the United States moving forward.